Catherine McKinnell MP
Biography
Catherine McKinnell was appointed Minister of State (Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending) at the Ministry of Justice on 21 July 2026.
She was previously Minister of State (Minister for School Standards) at the Department for Education between 8 July 2024 and 6 September 2025.
Catherine has previously served on the Shadow Frontbench, including as Shadow Attorney General, Shadow Solicitor General and Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury. She previously served as Chair of the House of Commons Petitions Committee from 2020 to 2023.
She was elected as the Labour MP for Newcastle Upon Tyne North in May 2010 and has been re-elected four times.
Prior to being elected, Catherine was an employment lawyer at a large law firm in Newcastle, and studied Law at Northumbria University.
She lives in Newcastle with her husband, three children and former service German Shepherd. In her spare time, she enjoys getting outdoors – especially with her dog and family.
Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending
- Prison capacity and related policy
- Prison operations policy, reform, industrial relations and workforce
- Probation policy, operations, industrial relations, and transparency
- His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service administration
- Sentencing Act implementation
- Dame Lynne Owen Review into Release in Error
- Public Protection (incl. Critical Public Protection Cases)
- Parole Policy
- Trans Prisoners
- Female Offenders
- Reducing Reoffending
- Electronic Monitoring(EM)
- Offender health and drugs
- Prisoner Escort Contracts
- Counter Terrorism
- Amber Rudd Independent Review